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Effect of Si content, pH, electrolyte and fulvic acid on the stability of Th(IV)-silicate colloids

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Abstract

Although the occurrence of tetravalent actinide (An(IV)) silicates has been reported, little is known regarding the behavior of colloidal An(IV)-silicates in the environment. In this context, we prepared Th(IV)-silicate colloids and studied its dispersion stability as a function of important environmental factors, i.e., Si content, pH, electrolyte and fulvic acid (FA). Results indicated that the colloids were more stable at lower Th content and higher pH conditions. The aggregation of the colloids became kinetically faster with increasing ionic strength. Cations with higher valence triggered severer aggregation of Th(IV)-silicate colloids, while the same valence cations showed different coagulation abilities. As a result, the inhibition effect followed an order of Sr2+ > Ca2+ > Cs+ > Na+. In addition, the stability of Th(IV)-silicate colloids was improved significantly in the presence of FA. The dependence of the colloid stability on varied chemical conditions was well illustrated by the DLVO theory. The obtained results lay the foundation for elucidating the behavior and migration of An(IV)-silicate colloids in the environment.

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Acknowledgements

This work funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 21906074, 22176079, 12175094), the Natural Science Foundation of Gansu Province, China (Nos. 21JR7RA513, 22JR5RA480) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (lzujbky-2021-32, lzujbky-2022-sp05).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Frontiers Science Center for Rare Isotopes, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Daming Zhang, Xinya Diao, Yuxiong Wang, Qiang Jin, Zongyuan Chen & Zhijun Guo

  2. Radiochemistry Laboratory, School of Nuclear Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Daming Zhang, Xinya Diao, Yuxiong Wang, Kang Xu, Qiang Jin, Zongyuan Chen & Zhijun Guo

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  1. Daming Zhang
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Zhang, D., Diao, X., Wang, Y. et al. Effect of Si content, pH, electrolyte and fulvic acid on the stability of Th(IV)-silicate colloids. J Radioanal Nucl Chem 332, 1171–1180 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10967-022-08703-5

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